War: The Next Pope!

JMJ

As I write this on December 23, 2023, I can't help by wonder what the next Pope (i.e. Vicar of Christ) will do in the aftermath left by Pope Francis (the First and hopefully the Last).

Pope Francis has placed another landmine on the path outwards of this Crisis of the Catholic Church. Simply put, it is the allowance of 'blessings' for Gay Couples. The list of other landmines is long and glorious but some highlights would be the dismantling of the hierarchy, removal of priests and bishops for being 'divisive', ambiguous documents that open the Catholic Church to the acceptance of sinful acts as practical doctrine,

Yes, Pope Francis (elected March 13, 2013) has left quite a mess and this mess is what the next Pope, if he is a great (not just good) Vicar of Christ will have to walk the Way of the Cross to undo the evil Gordian knot tied by Popes since Pius XII.

Each Pope has, by their decisions, added Bights, Crossings, Elbows, and loops to the knot that that one wonders to how untie it (Link: Knot Term).

After some reflection, here's what I would tell a newly elected Vicar of Christ if he asked me.

Don't start with the knot, start with the rope.

Declare the complete Catholic Dogma in the face of the central issues. This would include a list of the Dogmas, that Catholics need to believe in order to remain Catholic and not (knot?) fall into heresy.
This will create an uproar from the the world, the flesh and the Devil. That's why it will require Heroic Virtue to stand against so many to proclaim the Truths of the Catholic Church.
This one act will make clear the battle lines with the Church and in the World, cutting numerous lines of the knot making it easier to unravel large sections of it.
In short, provide clarity.

Go to the knot's core, fix the seminaries.

The seminaries are either the gardens or breeding grounds of the Catholic Church.
If they are aligned with Catholic Teaching (ie Dogmas, Doctrines, Principles etc) then they are gardens. Gardens provide nourishment for the strengthening of the Church.
If they are not aligned with Catholic Teaching, then they are the breeding ground for heresy and revolutionaries.
We've seen this already where 'Garden" seminaries result in a flourishing of the Faith. Examples are the seminaries of Traditional Congregations and conservative diocesan seminaries - such as Lincoln, Nebraska.

Note this does not mean the there won't be problems. The cultural pressures of the world cannot be under-estimated. Attrition affects the ordained priests of the SSPX. They go to the diocese, leave the priesthood etc and it is essential to realize that it isn't easy to be a priest in this world. It never really has been easy, it is just harder now.

Organize the Vatican around the Mission of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church is a hierarchical organization and needs to be optimized for decision making, taking action and communication.
Prioritize the elimination of persecution of faithful Catholics by people within the Catholic Church. No matter where they are in the hierarchy of the Church.
De-prioritize the transitory world issues until the Catholic Church has righted itself.

My first thoughts - there would be more but this would be a major starting point.

P^3

Comments

The myth of the Hermeneutic of Continuity - Rorate Caeli

+ JMJ Interestingly the complete acceptance of the Second Vatican Council (without reservations) is required of the SSPX. Just when people are starting to wonder how it came to this! Courtesy of Rorate Caeli P^3

A Look Back: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976

+ JMJ Looking back is important to understand why we are where we are in this crisis. Courtesy of RemnantNewsPaper P^3 FOR THE FIRST TIME ONLINE: Archbishop Lefebvre’s Prophetic Address to The Remnant, 1976 Written by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre Introduction by Michael J. Matt More than forty years ago—during the disastrous reign of Pope Paul VI, the latest candidate for a Vatican-issued Halo Award, by the way—my father, Walter L. Matt, organized the first large scale public reception in the U.S. for the late Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. It was held at the Radisson South Hotel, Minneapolis, on Tuesday, May 12, 1976, and its stated purpose was to assist the Archbishop in gaining a stronger foothold for the Society of St. Pius X in the States during the unprecedented crisis Blessed Pope Paul had helped unleash on the Church. On that occasion Archbishop Lefebvre delivered ...

Of the Church and the Pope - Fr. Calmel O.P.

+ JMJ Once again, looking back to see if the 'Traditional Catholics' in the early days of this crisis of the Church had a sufficient view to realize the roots of the crisis. The root: The Pope Hence when the Pope is 'righted' the Church will be 'righted'. P^3 Courtesy of SSPXasia Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. This essay by Fr. Roger Calmel, O.P. (1914-75) helps us in these difficult times to preserve our love of the Church. More than 30 years after its first publication, this article retains all its relevance, so much so that it even seems to have been written for our time, in which the crisis in the Church deepens at an unprecedented pace. This essay will help the reader to think clearly, keep the Faith, and maintain serenity in the troubled times we are navigating. “My country has hurt m e,”wrote a young poet in 1944 during the purge 1 when the head of state [Charles De Gaulle] implacably pursued the sinister job that had been in the wo...

Canonical Mission and State of Emergency - A Response to Mr. John Salza - Part B

+ JMJ I was trying to think of a way to map out the time course I discussed in Part A of this article. Early this morning it came to me that this is more about obedience and duty than canon law. As is my wont, I mapped out my thoughts (see image) to draw linkages between the core concepts. My conclusion is that, at least subjectively, Archbishop Lefebvre had sufficient information to make good decisions concerning whether or not he was obliged to obey. I know that the Jesuits, some Sedevacantists and the priests that left over the years will not agree with my thoughts. So be it. The core pieces of information include: Attacks against the SSPX were launched because they kept the Tridentine Mass and the pre-conciliar understanding of the Truths of the Faith. The authorities in the Church were willing to go against the laws of the Church. The same authorities encouraged the various dangers to the Faith embedded in popular interpretations of ambiguo...

Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations - Courtesy of SSPX.org

+ JMJ In the blogosphere there are number of responses to this crisis in the Catholic Church that lead to conclusions that run counter to Catholic Doctrine and Dogmas - if taken to their logical conclusion. The validity of the New Rite of Episcopal consecrations is one such hotspot within more extreme sections of the 'traditionalist' culture. Validity of new rite of episcopal consecrations Courtesy of SSPX.org Why the new rite of episcopal consecration is valid Introduction This comprehensive study was compiled to settle a debate that has been circulating in traditional Catholic circles. Some writers have examined the new rite of episcopal consecration and concluded that it must be invalid. Since this would cause manifest problems if it were true and due to the heightened awareness of such a theory, we present a study of this question concluding that it is valid. Following the Council, in 1968 a new rite for the ordination of bishops was promulg...

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